US state in need of more teachers

The United States is in need of more professional educators for its burgeoning student population, providing compensation starting at $36,00 per annum to qualified teachers.

Multicultural Professionals LLC (USA) and JS Contractor Inc., an overseas manpower recruitment company, have announced that various independent school districts (ISDs) in Texas, in fact, hope to enlist at least 94 more teachers this school year.

These districts are YSLETA (33), Phar San Juan Alamo ISD (12), Canutillo ISD (4), El Paso ISD (17) and Soccoro ISD (28).

Another 300 teachers are to be recruited for the next school year, JS Contractor said.

Interested applicants must have been teaching for the past two years in elementary or high school levels in any public or private school nationwide.

Prior to the interview, applicants must submit their pertinent documents for evaluation of credentials and must pass the Functional Academic Skills Test (FAST).

FAST is one of the required qualifying exams for professional educators in Texas. More than 50 percent of Filipino teachers, who had taken FAST, have passed and gone on to fulfilling teaching careers in the US. International test consultants conduct FAST in the Philippines at least twice a year.

The next FAST is scheduled on April 25 in Cebu City for applicants from the Visayas and Mindanao. Applicants from Luzon will take FAST on April 27.

Interested applicants can attend the orientation on April 12 at the JS Contractor Inc. offices. For inquiries, Luzon applicants can call Joy Bautista or Gemma Marayag at 527-5536, 301-0008 or 338-2609.

Applicants from the Visayas can call Lily Lequit of JS Cebu at (032) 255-4330 or (032) 255-2970, while Mindanao applicants can call Penny Alcid of JS Davao at (082) 255-1914 or (082) 234-6704.

According to Texan school administrators, Filipino teachers excel in their teaching and also help nurture their students. One Filipino teacher reportedly helped students attain a higher passing rate in their School Aptitude Test (SAT). As a result, more school districts have given job openings to Filipino teachers.

Teachers will be contracted to teach elementary and secondary public schools. An additional benefit is the exemption from paying income taxes in the first two years of their employment.

Multicultural Professionals LLC (USA), along with JS Contractor Inc., has deployed over 200 teachers in various independent school districts in the US in the past two years.